With the emergence of the internet and the speed of technological developments, it is not surprising how our lives have been changed and transformed. The physical world and the cyber world have merged, and people have become more attached to the wonders and convenience of the world wide web.
Jobs and careers have likewise shifted and changed. It is now possible to make money and have a job without leaving the comforts of your home. All you need is a working PC and a good, reliable internet connection. If you know how to build a website from scratch, you can easily start a blog and earn from it.
Blogging is short for “web logs” which is some sort of journal or information content that a writer creates online. Nowadays, anyone can easily start his or her own blog and many have made blogging a lucrative money-making activity.
If you are thinking of creating your own blog, here are some ways you can make money from it:
- Do affiliate marketing.
Arguably the simplest and most effective way of making money from blogging, this involves writing about products or services you frequently use and have a lot of knowledge about. This allows you to earn commissions for recommending these products and services. With affiliate marketing, visitors to your blog click a link to a specific product or service and you get paid for every successful ‘referral’.
- Create online courses.
This involves making use of your specialized knowledge to write about specific topics. Usually, this is associated with LMS websites or learning management systems. Examples of these are Teachable, LearnPress, and WPLMS.
- Post sponsored content.
Whenever your blog becomes popular and relevant, some companies may offer to sponsor your blog and they would integrate their brand and logo in your content. These can be snippets on your existing content or it may be a completely new content about the company and its products or services. Sponsored content will come off as your own recommendation to try out these products and services, so make sure to carefully consider any sponsored content you put in your blog.
- Host free webinars.
Many businesses use this strategy to lead people into their products and services. This is usually common for software products that are sophisticated and powerful, especially in the area of sciences and engineering. You can opt to host webinars but remember to make it unique and provide exceptional value – remember there are free webinars out there also.
- Offer consultation services.
Consultation services are needed in almost every aspect of life, and you can offer such by charging your clients for your time. It can be an hourly rate or you may create packages that your clients may choose from. You can provide the consultation services through instant messaging or video calls through services such as Skype.
- Create an online community or forum.
You can also create an online community or forum that engage in a specific topic or even anything under the sun. A forum usually has a lot of visitors since it invites the netizens to engage in conversations and interactions with other members. Although having a forum with a lot of members can certainly increase your site’s traffic, you may also earn from this by charging a small membership fee. Keep in mind that you have to moderate the contents of the forums and to be prepared against spambots.
- Provide restricted content.
You may create members-only content that can only be accessed when one pays for the membership fee. You can do this if you have a huge loyal fanbase that will be more than willing to pay for your content such as in-depth blogs, downloads, and multimedia content.
